Bowling Green commission approves option to buy downtown property, radio fiber, playground and several personnel actions

Bowling Green — The Bowling Green Board of Commission on Sept. 16 approved an option to purchase 500 East Main and voted on a package of operational items including a fiber installation for public-safety radio sites, an application for a state transportation grant, playground replacement work, personnel appointments and a change order for asphalt work.

The actions, taken at City Hall during the regularly scheduled evening meeting, were advanced by unanimous votes unless noted. City officials said the property option will provide interim office space as the city plans long-term development of its City Hall campus. Officials described the fiber work as a cost-saving measure to improve redundancy for the public-safety radio system.

City manager remarks and staff presentations City Manager Jeff Meisel presented the purchase option for 500 East Main, which staff said would offer space for “four or five departments” during a multi-year campus planning process. “This will be an opportunity to plug and play,” Meisel said during discussion of the acquisition. The commission voted unanimously to approve the municipal order authorizing an option to purchase the property (municipal order number 2025-231).

Steven Eppley, an IT manager, described the radio-fiber project as an effort to “upgrade and replace some outdated equipment or radio towers that are used for our public safety radio system.” Eppley told commissioners that partnering with local utilities to provide fiber to tower sites will create dual communication paths where only one exists today and will allow the city to defer expensive aerial equipment replacement. The commission approved a sole-source purchase of fiber and service aggregation routers from Bowling Green Municipal Utilities and Motorola Solutions Inc., for $279,386.25.

Roads, grant application and resurfacing scope Staff asked the commission to authorize submission of a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet county priority projects program application for $669,586.14 to resurface approximately 1.1 miles of roadway, including Riverview Drive and Plum Springs Loop. City staff said the project…